Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between data center engineers and systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a data center engineer and a systems engineer. Additionally, a data center engineer has an average salary of $102,788, which is higher than the $82,834 average annual salary of a systems engineer.
The top three skills for a data center engineer include data centers, troubleshoot and HVAC. The most important skills for a systems engineer are python, linux, and C++.
| Data Center Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,788 | $82,834 |
| Hourly rate | $49.42 | $39.82 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 178,277 | 145,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A data center engineer is responsible for managing the efficiency and optimal performance of the network data systems of an organization. Data center engineers ensure the safety and security of the database to prevent unauthorized access and suspicious activities within the network that may pose risks for the business. They assess the navigation of the servers, conduct regular maintenance, and perform immediate troubleshooting for glitches to avoid any delays in the operation. A data center engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in writing data resolution for reference and configuration.
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
Data center engineers and systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Center Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,788 | $82,834 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $147,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a data center engineer and a systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Data Center Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between data center engineers' and systems engineers' demographics:
| Data Center Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.0% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |